


PART 3 - Confessions

by Syndcates



Series: Rough Seas - Mianite [3]
Category: Mianite - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Innuendo, Love Confessions, Love Letters, M/M, Multi, No Smut, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Realm of Mianite, Threesome - F/M/M, syndisparklez
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-06-19 03:59:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15501849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syndcates/pseuds/Syndcates
Summary: After escaping Ianarea, Tom finds himself traveling to Emall, a small town where he will finally be able to go home. Capsize deals with the loss of her brother, and a new character is introduced!





	1. 21 - Help

“My Lady.” A purple haired woman stood a few feet away from them, bowing to Ianite. Katherine shifted nervously, and glanced at Jordan, who gave her a small shrug and a confused face. He didn’t know who this lady was either. After the hole in the temple had been patched up, and all those injured were carted off, Ianite called upon one of her most powerful followers. Ianite had told the two of them that this woman would be able to help them track Rupert, using magical means. Katherine hoped that she was right. The thought of her brother scared and alone made her feel sick. 

“Please Martha, there is no need for that.” Ianite smiled as Martha straightened, her dark blue eyes darting between Jordan and Katherine in confusion.

“What did you call me for, my lady? I mean, besides the fact that there’s a giant hole in one of the temple walls.” Crossing her arms over her chest, Martha cocked her head to the side, looking at Ianite expectantly. Ianite sighed and spoke.

“My brother, Dianite, had attacked our temple so that he could get his champion back.” At this, Martha’s brows furrowed and she looked confused. “My captain and champion, here,” Ianite motioned towards Katherine, and then to Jordan, “Were able to capture the Dianitee champion, Thomas Syndicate. He was brought here, so that I could try and get Dianite to cease in his attacks before war broke out. Unfortunately, not everything went to plan. As you can see, we now have no Dianitee champion, a large hole in our walls, many injured civilians, and Katherine’s brother has been taken by the Dianitee’s. We have no hope in knowing where he will be taken, and I was hoping that you could be able to track him.” Ianite explained. Martha nodded slowly, taking it all in.

“No offense my lady, but why couldn’t you just track her brother?” Martha asked, jerking her head towards Katherine. “It would be much easier than getting me out here to do it.”

“My brother was smarter than I thought. He has created a veil between myself and Rupert, and I can’t track him, or feel his presence. I have no way to tell if he is alright or not.” Ianite fiddled with the hemline of her purple robes nervously. “That is why I called you here.”

“Alright.” Martha replied, uncrossing her arms. “I can do that.” She turned to look at Katherine, who straightened slightly. “It was Katherine, was it?” When Katherine nodded, she continued. “I need something that had value to your brother, something that he would have held close to his heart. Essentially, something personal. I’ll be using that object when we are able to do the ritual, but it won’t be destroyed.” Martha explained, watching as Katherine nodded. Alright. Something personal. She could do that.

-

Katherine sighed as she unlocked the door to what had previously been her and Rupert’s home. Now that she lived with Jordan, Rupert had renovated the space to make his bedroom a little larger, using Katherine’s old room as a guest room. She had spent many nights with him in this house, and stepping inside of it just brought them all back. A few tears came to her eyes, and she hastily wiped them away, sniffling slightly. She needed to find this object, and then they would be able to find her brother. Then they could save him, and Katherine wouldn’t let him out of her sight for weeks. That, and she would find Tom and slap him again, or not, depending on the shape Rupert was in. Really, she knew that wasn’t fair, because Dianite could override any decision that Tom made, but she couldn’t just slap a god. Well, she could try.

“Kathy?” Jordan murmured, placing a hand on her lower back. Katherine lent into him, resting her head on Jordan’s shoulder. He had come in behind her and closed the door. The two of them making the short trip to Rupert’s home. They had walked in silence, just holding hands as they walked. Now, they s

“I miss him.” She whispered, breaking the silence. Jordan kissed the top of her head, resting his cheek on her hair.

“I do too. It’s so strange having him gone.” Jordan had gotten used to Katherine’s older brother being around ever since he had met Katherine, back when she was fifteen, himself sixteen. Rupert had been so protective over her even then, making sure to attend every date that the young couple had, always a few table’s away. When Rupert finally started trusting him to be around Katherine, Jordan had felt honoured, knowing that Rupert trusted him enough to leave the two of them alone, and even letting Katherine sleep over with him a couple of times. They had bonded, and Rupert had told Jordan that he was like his brother. Jordan was snapped out of his memories when Katherine started speaking again.

“I just want him to be safe. I… I told Tom to keep him safe but… I don’t know how long Tom will be able to do that.” She confessed, before pulling away from Jordan slightly. “C’mon. Let’s look around before we both start crying.” Jordan nodded, and the two began their search. The bottom floor yielded nothing of sentimental value, so the two of them headed upstairs. Jordan was looking under Rupert’s bed, while Katherine was digging through his closet. There had to be something in here, right? Katherine frowned when she felt a box beneath her finger tips. Why did he have a box in his closet, of all places? Pulling it out, she dusted off the top and opened it. To her surprise, there was simple leather bound book. She pulled it out and dropped it to the side, before turning back to the box and freezing.

“Kathy? I don’t think anything’s under here besides dust. “Jordan called out from under the bed, trying to wiggle out. When he got out, he frowned at Katherine’s still figure. “Kathy?” He asked quietly, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. Jordan moved closer to her and swallowed when he saw what was in the box. There was a photograph, one with four smiling faces. There was a dark-skinned man with his arm around the waist of the woman beside him. Two beaming children, one boy with red hair, the other a young girl, where sitting in front of the adults. This was definitely something personal, something so connected to Rupert and to Katherine. They could use this picture to track him.

‘That’s us.” Katherine whispered quietly, tracing her fingers over her mother and father’s face. “That was us before we were attacked.” A tear trickled down her cheek, and Jordan wiped it away with his thumb. “I didn’t think that anything had made it out of the fire.”

“We’ll get him back, Kathy. I promise.”


	2. 22 - Fireside Chats

“Really dude, I think you’re just freaking out about nothing.” Josh said as he lifted a box out of the back. Tom merely frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, stepping out of the way so that Josh could set the box of camping supplies where it needed to go. Wiping his forehead with his shirt, Josh used one of his hands to shield his eyes, squinting up at the sun. “about what time would you say it is?” Tom glanced upwards and answered.

‘Two, three o’clock?” Tom bit his lip as Josh got back to unloading their cart. He waited a few moments, before speaking again. “Really though I’m- “Josh cut him off with a sigh.

“Dude. Seriously. It’ll be fine.” Josh huffed as he saw Tom’s expression remain the same. “Look, you don’t see Tony worrying about anything, yeah? Be like Tony.” Tom glanced over to the man that Josh was talking about. The other Modestep brother, Tony, was busy making sure that Rupert was securely tied to a tree. Tom had tried to persuade him to at least let him sleep on the floor of the cart, but Tony had merely pushed him off, talking about ‘Ianitee scum’ and how he should ‘be treated like the dog he is’. He had been shocked at Tony’s treatment of Rupert. Tony hadn’t ever seemed like the type to discriminate. It really just made Tom uncomfortable, and Tom could see Rupert trying to push himself as far away from Tony as possible. That was fair. “Look, Tom. They won’t find your weird diary that talks about what kind of dreams you had, or whatever fantasy you jerk it- “

“Okay, that’s enough.” Tom cut him off, his face flushing at the thought of Katherine or Jordan finding something like that. “It’s not that kind of book Josh. I use it to talk to Dianite when we’re apart.” Josh merely snorted, raising an eyebrow at Tom’s flushed face.

“It’ll be fine, man. Calm down dude.” Patting him on the shoulder, Josh continued to unload the cart. Tom sighed. That was not the answer he had been looking for Knowing the Modesteps, and Tony’s current attitude, if Tom were to say anything more they’d probably tie him to a tree as well. Gag him too, to make him shut up. Tom silently helped the brothers unpack, and they had a roaring fire and dinner as the sun was going down. Tom glanced around their small camp. The brothers had their bedrolls beside each other, and Tom was across from them, sitting cross-legged on his own bedroll. Not too far away on his right, about six or seven meters away from him, Rupert sat up against a tree, his arms tied behind the tree and a few strands of rope wrapping around his chest. His ankles were also still tied together, and Tom felt a pang of remorse that he couldn’t do anything about Rupert’s situation. At least he was asleep, his head lolling to the side, resting on his shoulder.

“Hey, Tony?” Tom asked over the crackling of the fire. Tony’s head jerked up from his lap, and he looked at Tom confusedly. “Who’s taking first watch? Cause I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to get to sleep that easily, so I can.” He offered, watching as Tony bit his lip, thinking for a moment.

“I guess you can.” Tom nodded, fiddling with his hands in his lap. He was seriously dreading falling asleep, especially since his nightmares had been coming back. At least if he drove himself to exhaustion he wouldn’t have any dreams whatsoever. After a couple of hours, Josh called it quits, fall asleep a few minutes after he had gotten bundled up in his bedroll. Tony followed not long after, and was also quick to fall asleep. Tom smiled wishfully as he watched the two of them sleep. Gods, he wanted to be able to do that.

He sat in silence, minus the spitting fire and the sound of wind brushing through the trees. Distantly, he could hear an owl calling, but that was about it. A few hours passed before anything remotely interesting happened. Tom had been staring up at the sky, naming stars, when there was the sounds of groaning and shuffling coming from his right. He immediately glanced over, finding a slowly blinking Rupert trying to be more comfortable.

“You alright mate?” Tom asked hesitantly, watching as Rupert’s head jerked towards him, his eyes wide. Rupert let out a couple of muffled noises, before Tom sighed. Sitting up, he came to squat beside Rupert, pulling the gag free from his mouth. Letting out a large gasp, Rupert opened and closed his mouth a few times, wanting to relive the slight pain in his jaw.

“Why’d you do that?” Rupert asked, voice slightly hoarse. Tom shrugged and sat on the ground, ignoring the small pebbles and sticks.

“Cause I don’t like seeing people suffer?” Tom titled his head, squinting his eyes at Rupert. “You’re not one of those people who try to say that all Dianitee’s are sadists, are you?” Rupert shook his head, eyes nervously darting around the camp. When he saw that both Tony and Josh were sound asleep, he let out a sigh of relief and relaxed.

“No… I just… Well, I wasn’t expecting it from someone who I had helped to kidnap before.” Rupert stated bluntly.

“That makes sense. I guess Katherine wasn’t expecting it either.” Tom replied, not missing the alarmed look Rupert shot at him. “What? Your sister told me her name willingly. I didn’t force her to do it or anything.” Tom frowned as Rupert gaped at him. Did he really not expect all of those meetings from Katherine and Jordan to not have resulted in anything happening?  
  
“You… You’re joking.” Rupert stammered, his face a strange ashy colour. Tom shook his head slowly, watching as Rupert only got more distressed. Internally, Rupert was freaking out. His beloved younger sister had willingly told Tom, however nice he may be, their enemy, her name. Her real name. Did she know what that could do? Dianite could track her down with that. Everyone only knew of Captain Capsize; few knew about Katherine Delany.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Just like I won’t tell anyone that Jordan is Ianite’s champion.” Tom replied, giving Rupert his most confident smile. Rupert swallowed and nodded shakily. He would just have to trust Tom’s word on this one. Glancing at the ground, tom bit his lip, debating inside of his head. Should he really do it? Tell Rupert about what had transpired with himself and Katherine? Risk Rupert being angry at him? Well, there was only one way to find out. Tom took a deep breath in, trying to calm his racing heart. “I… Actually, I have something to tell you about Katherine… and myself.” He nearly whispered the last part, too ashamed to look up at Rupert.

“W-What do you mean?” Rupert asked, concerned. Tom had started acing funny, and he couldn’t help but feel like Tom was going to tell him something earth-shattering, something that would shake up his whole world. “Well? What is it?” Tom looked back up at him, carefully avoiding his eyes.

“Look, normally I’m not the best with feelings but…” Tom cleared his throat, trying his best not to panic. “I have feelings for your sister and… well, she definitely had the for me.” Or at least, I hope she still does, he added in his head. Rupert blinked, not knowing exactly what to think of this scenario. On one hand, he was a little upset that Katherine had chosen Tom of all people (though he really knew that she couldn’t control who she had feelings for). On the other, he was surprised. Katherine and Jordan had broken up? But they had seemed so happy together.

“Katherine and Jordan broke up?” He asked softly, watching as Tom shook his head slowly.

“I… no. Definitely not. I uh…” Tom swallowed, trying to hide the flush that was crawling up his cheeks. “I was also uhm… Intimate with… Jordan” Tom coughed, letting Rupert interpret that as he wished. Raising an eye brow, Rupert watched Tom awkwardly looking at anywhere but him. After a few minutes of the two sitting in silence, Tom glanced back up ay Rupert. “Aren’t you going to say anything? Yell at me? Nothing?” Biting his lip, Tom watched Rupert as he replied.

“No I… I actually don’t care who my sister bangs,” Tom sputtered, his face going bright red, “because it’s none of my business.” Rupert continued, a small smile making its way onto his face as Tom protested that no, he and Katherine hadn’t done anything because he didn’t want to rush into anything and make her uncomfortable. “I… think we got off to a bad start, Tom.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I… To get a little personal, my home was attacked by Dianitee soldiers when I was fifteen. Both of my parents died, and I was just barely able to save Katherine and myself from falling to the same fate.” Rupert closed his eyes for a moment, trying not to let his emotions bubble over. Tom watched him, feeling somewhat nauseous. His god had attacked another Ianitee village not that long ago? Gods, Dianite might actually be sadistic. Rupert cleared his throat and continued. “The man who killed my parents, the one made of flames and ash, I… I thought you would be like him. But you’re not, so…” Rupert shrugged to the best of his ability. Tom felt his heart drop as he heard Rupert’s description, knowing only one person, one thing that Rupert could have been describing. Furia. Furia had killed Katherine and Rupert’s parents, maybe even some of their town. Gods, that left a bad taste in his mouth.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” Tom said sincerely. He felt like throwing up, or maybe just crying a little. One of the things that Dianite had tried to do was to train him to become more… emotionless. Someone who would turn a blind eye to other’s suffering. Someone who wouldn’t hesitate to kill on Dianite’s behalf. It hadn’t worked, as Tom’s compassion was too large to be overridden, but still. He hated that Dianite had just attacked because he felt like it.

“Thanks.” Rupert replied quietly. The two of them sat in silence for almost a full thirty minutes, Tom feeling bad about Dianite’s actions and Rupert trying to figure out what he wanted to say. Eventually, Rupert broke the long silence. “Tom, I think… I think that we should put our rough start behind us. I want Katherine to be happy, and I sure hope that you do too. Kathy… She wouldn’t like t if we fought all the time.” Rupert chuckled slightly, watching as a small smile appeared on Tom’s face as well. “So… can we try to be civil? Maybe even become friends if you’re feeling luck.” Tom hesitantly nodded, reaching over to clap Rupert on the shoulder.

“Yeah. I’ll try… Rupert.” Tom replied, giving the other mans shoulder a gentle squeeze.

“So will I… Tom.”


	3. 23 - About Tom

Katherine sighed as she felt Jordan’s arm around her waist, his beard tickling the back of her neck. Swatting lazily at his head, she stretched her arms above her head, yawning. Smiling as she heard him giggling at her actions, Katherine sat up, ignoring the murmur of protest from Jordan. She sighed, letting her head lean back against the wall. Jordan had shifted so that his head was resting on her lap, her hand gently laced on top of his head, thumb idly stroking his temple. They sat in silence for almost an hour, before Katherine spoke up.

“Hey, Jordan?” She murmured, watching as Jordan’s head turned to that the back of his head rested on her thigh, bright blue eyes looking up at her. Smiling, Katherine cupped his face, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips, Jordan humming and closing his eyes. She could feel his bear scratching her palms as the two of them sat there, basking in the comfort that the other brought them. Jordan’s eyes remained closed, a small smile on his face, on that Katherine mimicked as she watched him. How had she been this lucky? Eventually, Katherine spoke up again, her voice quiet. “Jordan, can I tell you something?” Jordan opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Of course Kathy. You can tell me anything.” Jordan replied, a slight worry creeping into his voice. She seemed… scared about how Jordan would react to whatever she was planning on saying, and it made Jordan feel bad that she didn’t think that she could tell him anything. Hell, even if it was bad news, he’d still rater hear it from her than from anyone else. Nodding, Katherine swallowed, keeping her eyes on Jordan’s face.

“I… You know how I was talking yesterday about how Tom told me that Rupert had been taken?” She asked, watching Jordan nod, his brow furrowing. “Well… We did more than just… talking…” Flushing, Katherine bit her lip. “I kissed him. She whispered, her heart beating in her ears. Jordan beamed, sitting up so that he could look directly into Katherine’s eyes.

“That’s great Kathy!” He replied, watching as Katherine laughed a little, her shoulder’s shaking.

“I-I’m sorry. I just thought that you would hate me for doing it and I…” Katherine trailed off, leaning into Jordan as he wrapped his arms around her.

“I would never, Katherine. “Jordan said earnestly, holding her tightly. She sighed slightly, and Jordan pressed a kiss to her temple. “I love you. Nothing’s going to change that.” The two held each other for a few moments, relishing in the skin-to-skin contact, before Jordan broke away, a slight flush on his cheeks as well. “Plus… You’re not the only one who uh…” Jordan rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Who kissed him.” Katherine blinked, surprised. Jordan kissing Tom hadn’t crossed her mind, and she ignored the mental image she got of the two of them kissing, instead trying to focus on real life.

“Really? You two kissed?” She whispered in shock. Jordan nodded, letting out an awkward chuckle.

“Well, it was definitely…. More intense than just uh…. Kissing.” Jordan stammered out, watching Katherine raise an eyebrow suggestively.

“Oh? You decided to bed him? And here I was, thinking that I had done too much.” Kathrine teased, watching Jordan sputter and become a blushing mess.

“N-No! I did not!” Jordan grumbled and crossed his arms, the though being both extremely embarrassing and still quite… stimulating. “We just made out Kathy, jeez.” Katherine just giggled, squishing Jordan’s face in her hands.

“Aw, Jordan! You’re blushing!” She teased him, pinching his cheeks as he swatted at her hands, laughing slightly. The two of them dissolved into fits of laughter, leaning against each other in their bed. Eventually, the two calmed down, wiping a few tears from their eyes, their chests heaving and aching. “Seriously though, how did he take it?” Katherine asked once she had gotten her heart rate to settle down more. Jordan frowned, remembering the day like it was yesterday.

“Not… well. He ran out of the room. I wasn’t able to talk to him again before he left.” Jordan replied, a frown on his face. Katherine hummed, feeling a slight pang of disappointment. It was t bad that Jordan hadn’t been able to tell Tom how he felt like she had. Who knew when the next time that they would see each other would be? It could be moths, possibly even years, before they could be able to see Tom peacefully, and even than would he want to see either of them?

“Next time we talk to Tom, we need to talk about… us.” She said, waving her hand between them. Jordan nodded, knowing what she meant. The three of them needed to talk about their relationship, as Tom was technically their enemy, and they were supposed to be fighting each other.

“I hope it’s soon.” Jordan murmured, watching Katherine nod and sigh. He had realized a few days ago that Tom had wormed his way into his heart, as Katherine had did, and had stayed put in there. His mind told him that they were rushing, that they were going too fast, but his heart told him that things were going fine, and that communication would help their relationship work. Jordan hoped that his heart was right, not just for his sake, but for Katherine’s as well.


	4. 24 - Emall

Tom blinked, his head jerking up for what had to be the fiftieth time that afternoon. Rupert had gone back to sleep after a few hours, but Tom couldn't fall asleep, not even when he tried. He had been awake for more than a day, and the exhaustion was taking its toll. They were coming up on Emall, and Tom knew that they were planning on renting a couple of rooms. Maybe he could sleep through the rest of the afternoon, and stay up to make sure that Rupert remained unharmed. Tom had found himself surprisingly enjoying Rupert's company. The pirate told good stories, and Tom quickly found out that they had a similar sense of humor. Now, he wasn't just protecting Rupert because Katherine told him too, it was also because he actually felt a bond to Rupert. He didn't want anyone innocent getting hurt, and Rupert's brother hadn't done anything wrong to Dianite. Or, at least, if he had, Tom would have heard about it.

"You doin' alright Tom?" Rupert asked, shifting his wrists, trying to get into a more comfortable position. The Modesteps had allowed for Rupert to sit on one of the small benches inside the cart, and now his wrists were in front of him rather than behind. At least it seemed more comfortable. Tom nodded jerkily to Rupert's question, feeling his eyes start to grow heavy once more. He blinked himself awake, his eyelids feeling heavy. Rupert chuckled. "Mate, just sleep. We won't be getting wherever we're going for a while, and plus, I dunno how much sleep you got last night." At that, Tom chuckled slightly, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"I didn' sleep at all." Tom mumbled, his speech slurring a little. Shit. He didn't think he was that tired. Tom missed how Rupert's brow crinkled as he tried to reach over to Tom, a worried expression on his face.

"Mate, that's not healthy." Tom shrugged, letting himself lean against the wall, trying not to fall asleep. "Tom, c'mere." Rupert motioned for him to scoot over, and Tom did sluggishly. He slumped down beside him, blinking at him slowly. "Use my shoulder. It'll be better than the wall or the floor." Tom hummed, and, in his exhausted state, allowed himself to rest his head on Rupert's shoulder, having to scoot right up to the other man in order to do it. Within a few seconds, he was asleep. Rupert chuckled, patting Tom's knee as the younger man rested. The fact that Tom hadn't been able to go to sleep was worrying for Rupert. He knew from experience that a tired crew mate either had problems sleeping or merely wasn't used to the sea. But they were traveling by cart, and Tom would have had to be used to the sea by now. So, Rupert continued to worry.

-

“Oi. Wake up.” Tom was jostled awake. He let out a groan, shielding his eyes from the sunlight streaming into the cart. Tony was standing over him, a bored expression on his face. “Good. Get out of the cart. Josh n’ me have already got room’s.” He explained as the two of the exited the cart, Tom rubbing his eyes. The cart had been parked near a stable of sorts, where Tom could see the horse being cared for by a few young boys. Entering the inn created a sense of dread in Tom. They had to pass through a bar to get to the stairs that led to their room. Many patrons avoided Tom’s gaze, and Ton had an inkling that they knew who he was. It was strange, having a bar go almost completely silent. As they got near the top of the stairs, Tom could hear the talking start to pick up again. The two of them stopped outside of two simple wooden doors, and Tony pointed to the one on the left.

“Yours.” He simply said, tossing Tom one of the keys and going to open his own door. Shrugging, Tom unlocked his door, finding Rupert asleep on one of the cots. Tom didn’t blame him. Glancing around the room, Tom nodded. There were two cots placed near the middle of the room, and a small desk was up against the eastern wall, a small candle on it. There was also an empty washing basin, but Tom didn’t think that they’d be needing that during their stay. Making his way over to the desk, Tom realized that there was actually a piece of paper on top of the desk. Getting an idea, Tom sat down at the desk, picking up a pencil that had fallen on the floor. Stretching his back, he began to write.

_My Dearests Jordan and Katherine,_

_I miss you both at every moment._ _The cold night wind involves my skin with the same sweet sadness that missing you involves my heart. When will I be with you again to bring me some joy? When will I feel you again, if I ever do?_

_The days pass by slowly without you, the evenings cold and lonely, and my mind can only be occupied with memories both of you, of Jordan’s enchanting eyes and Katherine’s smile. Lovely mouths colliding with mine, and your sweet words of love, saying caring phrases that until this day repeat themselves in my heart and in my mind. The though of your beautiful face sends shivers down my spine, and I long for you greatly._ _  
_

_How long has it been since I last heard your voices?  Eons, it's been far to long. Seeing you every day was a privilege that I didn't know i had. Know that it is gone, i feel lost, like a leaf in the wind.How long has it been since my mouth last felt the warm caring taste of your lips? I need you to write, I want to hear my name grace your lips once more. I need you to be here and tell me you´re both alright, that you´re okay, and that everything is going to be okay, to hold me in your arms and let my worries drain away like the rain slides off of a roof._

_I will write more letters to you, that I promise. Even if they never get delivered, I hope that you will have a feeling whenever I write them, letting you know that I’m thinking of you both. This letter was sappy, and I’m sorry if you hate it. I’m sorry that I rambled on, but I had to tell you, dearly beloved’s just how much your absence weighs heavy on my heart._

_Missing you at every moment,_

_Thomas Syndicate._

Staring at his letter, Tom felt a little embarrassed. It was a little sappy, coming from him. He had always found himself droning on and on when he wrote, and it seemed like he had done it again. Ah well. At least they would never read it. Tom sighed, folding up the letter and placing it inside of his coat. No one could ever find that letter, especially not a Dianitee. If someone were to find it, Tom knew that he would be punished, or gods, even killed. No one could know.


	5. 25 - Dianite

Tom was resting on his cot when he felt the presence of Dianite, the room growing hotter and what felt like flames licking his legs. Dianite had always radiated heat, and that had proved helpful for Tom whenever he had been doing something private, back when he was still training. The heat came closer to him, and Tom knew that he was definitely not going to be happy if Tom pretended to be asleep. Ah well. Being free of Dianite had been fun while it lasted. Groaning, Tom threw an arm over his eyes, tensing a little as he heard Dianite chuckle.

“My Champion.” Tom could pretty much hear the slight smirk that Dianite’s voice had, and he shivered slightly. He wasn’t… scared of Dianite. No, he couldn’t be. Dianitee’s were strong. He could do this. Lifting his arm off of his face, Tom sat up, blinking open his eyes to squint at the god, who was standing on the right ride of his cot, arms folded behind his back. Dianite himself had a bored expression on his face, one that Tom had seen too many times to count. Tom couldn’t hear anyone else in the room, so he assumed that he was sleeping or Dianite had already taken him. He fought back a shiver, and pasted a lopsided grin on his face, hoping to fool the god.

“My Lord.” Tom gave him a two-fingered salute, before he turned and let his legs dangle off the side of the bed. “Didn’t think you’d be here so soon.” Dianite huffed, stepping back to allow Tom to stand.

“Aw, Tom. Didn’t you miss me?” Dianite gave Tom a chilling smile, and Tom swallowed his fear and nodded back, basically forcing a cheerful attitude at this point. “Good. You have everything? I’ve already teleported the Modestep brothers to Inertia, as well as that pesky pirate.” The gods nose wrinkled in distaste as he spoke about Rupert. It left a bad taste in Tom’s mouth, and he realized that now was the best time of any to try and stop Rupert from getting hurt terribly. “Furia will have fun. I heard that he’d been looking for the pirate and his sister for quite some time. I’m sure that he’ll enjoy the company.” Dianite waved his hand boredly. Tom thought back to one of Dianite’s previous statements. Inertia, huh? Well, at least he could get home quicker that way. Inertia, or the Dianitee capital as it was more widely known, held the main temple, where Tom had spent many years training. It was a grand city, and Tom was slightly comforted by the thought of knowing at least where he was.

“My Lord…” Tom started, shrinking a little when Dianite turned to him, fiery eyes boring into his soul. He shifted awkwardly, letting a hand come up to rub at the back of his neck. “My Lord, may I please make a request?” When Dianite nodded slowly, crossing his arms over his chest, Tom continued. “I-It’s just, well, the pirate you keep talking about- “

“Rupert Delany, Skipper of the star skip in Ianite’s fleet.” Dianite interrupted, rolling his eyes as Tom closed his mouth dejectedly, his shoulders slumping. “What about him?”

“Y-Yes Sir. Him.” Tom replied, trying to build his confidence back up. His fists balled up instinctively, and he tightened his jaw, determined to get his thoughts heard. “I-I’d like to ask, My Lord, that you uh… not torture Rupert, or at least, bring him any harm.” Tom didn’t look up from the floor. For a few agonizing moments, everything was silent. And then like a crescendo, Dianite started to laugh. Keeping his head somewhat bowed, Tom waited out Dianite’s laughter, his chest stinging slightly. It hurt to have Dianite laughing at him. He hated it.

“Oh, that’s just rich!” Dianite said after his laughter had died down. There was still a smirk o his face, and every now and then he would chuckle slightly, thinking about what his champion had said. It was ridiculous. His champion, asking him to not harm someone who had indirectly hurt him, hurt them? That wasn’t like Tom. Tom would’ve begged for the chance to even watch the Skipper be hurt, wanting to please Dianite so much. Now, though, of all of the people he could have vouched for, an Ianitee? The feared and respected Captain Capsize’s brother? What had happened to his champion on this trip? Who had he become? “You’re not serious, are you?”  
  
“Yes, my Lord. I am.” Tom gritted his teeth.

“What, let me guess why. He’s knocked you up and you want to keep the child? Or wait-” The god let out a slight laugh. “You fell in love while you were away and now you’ve completely changed!” Dianite said mockingly, a cruel smile on his face. The god was so close to bursting into laughter. Tom swallowed back the lump that was starting to build in his throat, feeling his eyes start to sting. No no no no he couldn’t do this in front of Him. He hated when Dianite did this, blatantly mocked him, showed no care at all towards him. It hurt, especially when Tom look up to the god so much. Dianite was almost like… a second father, if that made any sense.

“My Lord, please.” Tom begged, looking up at him pleadingly. He bit his lip, waiting for a response. Dianite sighed and rolled his eyes. Ah well. Not like his champion could stop him anyways.

“Fine, fine. Your precious pirate will stay unharmed.” Dianite sneered, watching Tom relax slightly. The mortal didn’t exactly trust Dianite’s word, but it was the best he could get at the moment. He would have to take it.

“Thank you for your mercy, My Lord.” Tom said, bowing slightly. Dianite was always a sucker for people groveling to him. Maybe if he really played up the adoring champion role, Dianite would actually keep his promise. He could hope.

Tom quickly made sure he had everything, before he nodded to Dianite, signaling that he was ready. Dianite placed a hand on Tom’s shoulder, and Tom felt his stomach drop. When he opened his eyes again, they were standing in the main room of the Dianite temple in Inertia. Toms wallowed, trying to keep himself from heaving up the contents of his stomach. Dianite merely patted him on the shoulder, before speaking again.

“You will stay here for a couple of days, so I can check on your progress?” He asked, the one in his voice implying that Dianite was definitely not asking Tom a question. Tom nodded hesitantly, and Dianite merely teleported away from him. Blinking, Tom made his way to his room in the temple, which was exactly as it used to be. Gods, he wanted this to all be over.

-

The next time he spoke to Dianite was a few days later, while Tom was training. He was practicing with his armour on, to get him used to the weight again. The Dianitee champion armour was ridiculously heavy. It even impended on his speed, forcing his to stay back and wait for others

“Thomas. Walk with me.” Dianite commanded, jerking his head to the side, a motion for Tom to follow him. The god turned and walked away without a word, leaving Tom to scramble to get his armour off and onto its stand, re-sheathing his sword in the scabbard that hung from his belt. He fell into step with the god, and the two walked through the temple, other followers and guards bowing as they passed. They walked in silence for some time, before Tom spoke up.

“Why did you want to do this, Sir?” Tom said, huffing a little as he kept up to Dianite. The god was impossibly tall, and Tom had to jog to keep up with him. He didn’t want to think about when the god started to run. Dianite hummed and shrugged.

“I wanted to spend some time with you.

“My Lord? Why did you destroy that Ianitee village? They had done nothing to you, to us.” Tom asked sincerely. He bit his lip, watching Dianite’s face for any sign of remorse. Dianite merely continued walking, his face blank. Tom’s heart dropped. Oh. He really didn’t care. Dianite didn’t care about all of those lives that he had destroyed, all of those people, gone forever.

“Oh, that village?” Dianite mused. “You should be thankful for that. I did it for you, of course.” Tom felt his hands starting to shake. Dianite had killed all of those people… for him? Oh gods, what had he done? If he hadn’t been captured, would they have even died? Tom swallowed and nodded as Dianite explained the attack in detail, enjoying watching his champion squirm at the particularly gory bits. Tom couldn’t think of anything else. He had caused Dianite to kill all those people. It was all his fault.


	6. 26 - Letters to My Beloved(s)

Katherine was laying on what used to be Tom's bed, watching as Jordan rummaged through the drawers of the desk. It may have been somewhat strange, but after many nights of sleeping here, Tom's... scent? Had rubbed off onto the sheets. They faintly smelled like him, all metal and flowers and something quite simply Tom that she couldn't put a name onto. Whatever. The most important thing was that she felt comfortable, safe even, having a small reminder of Tom with her. Jordan sat back for a moment, stretching slightly as his back was starting to ache a little. She sighed as she watched him, eyes trailing across Jordan's back. They were back in Tom's room at not only his own request, but at Ianite's as well. Ianite had asked them to play sleuths, to try and find clues that could aid them in stopping Dianite. The fact that Tom had asked for her to specifically look in the desk was worrying. What was in there that was so important? Jordan paused in his rummaging, before glancing over his shoulder.

"Hey, Kath?" You might wanna come see this." Jordan said, before he pulled out two folded pieces of paper, placing them onto the desk in front of him. Standing, Katherine moved so that she was standing over Jordan's shoulder, inhaling sharply when she saw what was on the desk. Both pieces of paper were folded horizontally, and both had names written on the front in large text. The letter labeled 'Jordan' was to the left, and 'Katherine' on the right. "Kathy?" Jordan asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Should we see what's inside?" She nodded slowly, before reaching over to grab what she supposed was 'her' piece of paper. The two of them sat in silence, reading the contents of the papers, before Katherine spoke up.

"Wow." She said softly, a little stunned. That was... A lot of information to take in at once. Jordan merely hummed and nodded, before he turned in his seat so that he was fully facing Katherine.

"Will you read yours to me? I'll read you mine." Jordan asked, a hopeful look on his face. Katherine merely smiled and nodded again, before she cleared her throat.

_My Dearest ~~Capsize~~ Katherine,_

_I hope that you are able to find this letter, as it contains many important things that I was not able to tell you in person (or at least I believe that I will not be able too). Personally, I think that this may be the only way that I can safely tell you this; that I have found that I am quite attracted to both you and Jordan, and this passion that has plagued my every waking moment is why I am writing you this letter. You may never find it, but I am alright with that._

_I have found myself getting lost in the thought of you, ~~Capsize~~ Katherine, and while these idle fantasies are quite wonderful to think about, I have found them to be incredibly distracting. Even when writing this note to you, I found myself think about you. I hope you know the curse that you have placed on me, as I spend most of my waking hours wondering, hoping what it would be like to hold you in my arms, to press my lips to yours, even if only for a moment. By allowing myself to have these thoughts, I have also realized the danger that that brings, not only to me, but to the both of you as well._

_Unfortunately, as Dianite's champion, I am forbidden from romancing anyone, unless they are chosen picked recommended by Dianite. He only wants to ensure both my safety, and the safety of all the Dianitee's. It is my duty as his champion to follow his will, and with a heavy heart I say that I will not be able to court you, or Jordan, however much I wish to. My only hope is that Dianite never finds these letters, as he will punish me for going against his will._

_Please, be happy with Jordan. I want you to have what I cannot, to be safe and love each other as best you can. I'm running out of paper, but I want you to know how much I want you two to be happy._

_Sending you my love,_

_Thomas Syndicate._

When Katherine finished, the two of them sat in silence for a few moments while Jordan took it all in.

"Huh." Jordan said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I never knew that Dianite chose who his champions had relationships with. That's weird." Katherine nodded, her nose wrinkling up in distaste.

"I don't like it. I don't like Dianite." She replied, to which Jordan let out a half chuckle. "Read me yours." Katherine said, a feeling of excitement entering her. Jordan unfolded his paper and began.

_My beloved Jordan,_

_Do you know how I feel for you? Likely not, though I guess that's why I'm writing this letter to you. I have no idea where this letter will end up, but my hope is that you will be able to read it. ~~Capsize~~ Katherine as well. As I explained in my letter to ~~Capsize~~ Katherine, I have come to the conclusion that both yourself and Capsize Katherine have managed to gain my affections, although I am not quite sure how._

_My mind seems to not hear my pleading for logic, as it has only increased the amount which I think about you lately. Even now, as I write my thoughts, I found myself getting lost in thought, my mind wandering to what you will say about this letter. Jordan, you have gained a special place in my heart, as Katherine has, and there you will stay, for I do not have the strength to take you out and rid myself of you. I love cherish value you far too much to do that._

_I can never, could never be with you like I truly want to. This letter may be intended for you, Jordan, but ~~Capsize~~ Katherine has the same standings in my heart as you, Jordan. I've never felt this happy around other people, and it is something I wish I could hold and cherish forever. But I have my duty, as you have yours, and I find myself being pulled away from the two of you far too soon. Why can't I stay longer? Why can't I be with you? There are too many why's, Jordan. For instance, take this question I thought up last night; why can't I tell you my true feelings? Truthfully, I have no idea when, or even if, I will be able to tell you how I truly feel. It is crushing, to say the least. I have no control over mine or either of your future's. I can only hope that they shall cross paths again._

_I may love yourself and ~~Capsize~~ Katherine, Jordan. And that scares me._

_Forever thinking of you,_

_Thomas Syndicate._

"Aww." Katherine said once it was clear that Jordan was finished. He's such a hopeless romantic." Jordan actually laughed at that, nodding in agreement.

"He's a cutie." Jordan said, still chuckling slightly. "Though, it's kinda worrying that he thinks we don't return his feelings. I wonder when these were written. Maybe that had something to do with it?" Jordan voiced his thoughts, watching Katherine bite her lip and think deeply for a moment. It was sort of disheartening to have Tom telling her that he couldn't even try to date either of them. (though gods know how that would work, what with herself sailing all the time, and the two boys risking their lives so often) Why did he think that he couldn't even try? She was going to find whoever put that thought into Tom's head and crush them.

"Maybe." She replied, her voice soft. "Maybe."


	7. 27 - Something Missing

Tom sighed as he walked up the cobblestone street that led to his house. People were staring at him. Again. At first, he had tried to not let it bother him, but the sad looks people were giving him was getting to him. Even today, as he had walked through the market, he had heard a group of older ladies discussing him, and how tired he had been since he got back, how somber he had been acting. Maybe they thought it was because of torture, or just an after effect of being taken for so long. Well, let them gossip over his well-being. Tom was fine.

As he came up to his house, Tom fished the keys out of his pocket. His house, a simple, two-story, re-bricked home, was nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing that distinguished it from any of the other, similar houses on the street was that he had painted his door black, so that anyone coming to visit would be able to find his house. The door creaked as it opened, and when it closed. He needed to fix that. When the door was locked, the house was silent. It gave Tom the creeps. Who wanted to come home to an empty house? Tom had always thought about returning home from work, having his loved one (or ones, now) already be there, to greet him as he walked through the door. Tom groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Gods, he was lonely. Placing the bag on his kitchen counter, Tom began unpacking his groceries.

It had been strange being back home after two weeks. Days dragged on for what seemed like years on end, and really the only thing that relaxed him was sleep. Maybe it was because he was paranoid about Dianite, or maybe something else. After the constant stream of meetings, worry and _Jordan and Katherine_ it felt weird to be on a break. He missed them, more than he would have admitted out loud. Tom missed Katherine's smile, the way Jordan's eyes crinkled up when he laughed. The way Jordan had held him, and Katherine had kissed him so softly. Tom shook his head, as if that would clear him of these thoughts. He had to stop thinking about them. He was never going to see them again, so why bother? After his groceries were unpacked, Tom glanced around the fairly open bottom floor of his house. It was so large, too large for just one person. He wished that Jordan and Katherine could be here with him. Groaning, Tom rubbed his forehead. There he went again, thinking about the two Ianitee's that had stolen his heart.

Thinking back on his time as a prisoner, Tom wondered if they actually had looked in the desk. He sincerely hoped that they had. He had spent a good portion of nights writing those letters. They were from the heart. They were honest. (They were kind of sappy if he was telling the truth) Tom wondered what they had thought about them. Maybe they had smiled and laughed, embarrassed but pleased that Tom had taken the time to write them those letters. Maybe they thoughts they were nice. He certainly hoped so. Tom couldn't help but think about the bad. What if they hadn't seen the letters? What if they had ripped them to shreds, along with his notebook, calling him a traitor, a thief, a murderer- He needed to stop freaking himself out before he broke down in his kitchen.

Tom shrugged off his coat, letting it hang on the back of one of his chairs, and made his way upstairs, into his bedroom. Practically falling onto the bed, Tom pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. Ugh. He felt like shit. It was like someone had taken all of his fun and happiness and thrown it away. Why had he been so happy when he was taken prisoner? Of all the times to feel the best, that was certainly not one that people would suspect. Maybe if Jordan and Katherine were here, he could talk to them about it.

"God damn it." Tom groaned out. Again? Even after he had told himself that he couldn't, no, that he shouldn't think about them? Why did his thoughts keep coming back to the two of them? Why did Jordan and Katherine always stay in his mind?

Suddenly, Tom realized something. All of these feelings he was having, the sadness, the exhaustion, maybe even the feeling that time was moving slowly, were because he missed them. Ugh, that sounded sappier than he thought. But, thinking about it more, Tom realized that all of the signs had been showing since he got back. The inability to think of anything but the two Ianitee's he liked (or maybe loved). How tired he had been, having to deal with Dianite again. All of his feelings were stemming from Jordan and Katherine not being here. He missed them.

Tom hadn't realized it, but they had filled the holes in his heart from losing his parents, being cast out, being unloved for so long. Now that he was away from them, he realized that they too had left holes in his heart, ones that he now longed to fill once more.


	8. 28 - I Put A Spell on You

Katherine held Jordan’s hand tightly as they entered the temple. Ianite had called the two of them to the temple, saying that the spell would be complete soon. They were going to find out where Rupert was. Katherine didn’t know whether to cry or be happy. She was going to get to see her brother again, but what if he was hurt? What if he had been tortured? Although Katherine had made Tom promise to try and protect Rupert, but she knew that he was just a man. A man who couldn’t possibly force a god to not do something that he was already planning on. Pushing down those thoughts, Katherine took a deep breath in, not missing the way Jordan squeezed her hand gently. She could do this. She was going to find her brother.

“Hey, Kathy?” Jordan asked as they stopped outside of the door to Ianite’s office. She hummed and turned to face him. He took her other hand in his, drawing her closer so that the two of them were barely a centimeter apart. “I just wanted you to know that I love you.” He murmured, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead. As she giggled, flushing slightly, he continued. “And that whatever happens, I’ll be by your side. We’re gonna save your brother.” He said earnestly, watching as Katherine smiled up at him.

“I know we will.” She said quietly back. “I just hope that we can get him back before he’s really hurt.” She bit her lip nervously. “I’m not sure if I already told you this, but I asked Tom to try and keep Rupert out of harm’s way.” At the raised eye brow she got from Jordan, Katherine sighed and started again. “I know, it’s a difficult request but… I was mad and scared for Rupert, and Tom was the only person that I could think of that would have some say over his treatment.” Jordan sighed, bringing her in for a hug. He rested his cheek on her hair, squeezing her tightly as he felt his shirt starting to get slightly damp.

“I’m not mad at you, I would’ve done the same. Rupert would’ve done the same.” Jordan whispered, feeling Katherine start to shake. “Hey, it’s alright. Rupert will be fine.” Truly, Jordan didn’t know if what he said was going to be true. Tom could try all he wanted, but Dianite seemed set in his ways. “We’re going to find him today, and then we’ll be able to get him back. Maybe even Tom too.” At that Katherine sniffled slightly, pulling away. Jordan wiped her tear stained cheeks, pressing another kiss to her forehead. Katherine let out a slight laugh, before she responded.

“Alright. Let’s go in.” Hand-in-hand, the couple walked through the large doors. If anyone noticed Katherine’s red eyes, or Jordan’s damp shirt, they said nothing of it.

“Katherine, Jordan.” Ianite said as they entered her office, most of the furniture having been moved out of the way. In the middle of the room were a few chalk squiggles that Katherine couldn’t really make out. The photograph that they had found was lying in the center of the chalk markings, face up. Martha stood outside the chalk markings, a leather-bound book in her hands. She looked up and smiled as Ianite spoke, shutting the book and placing it on Ianite’s desk.

“Champion, Captain.” Martha nodded to both of them, running a hand through her lilac hair. “We can start the process whenever you are ready.” Jordan turned to glance at Katherine, who was biting her lip nervously.

“You ready?” Jordan murmured, reaching over with his other hand to push a strand of hair behind her ear. Smiling slightly, Katherine took a deep breath in. They were going to be fine. Rupert was going to be fine.

“Yeah.” She responded, nodding slightly. Facing Martha, she put on a brave face. “We’re ready now.” Martha nodded, and walked over to the center of the chalk markings, kneeling down to place her hand on top of the photograph. She began murmuring in a language Katherine couldn’t even hope to understand, and things in the room began to change. It got warmer, than cooler, and then even hotter than before. Martha began to speak much faster, her arms making strange motions around the photograph. There was a slight ball of white light forming over the photograph, and Katherine gasped as It flickered and pulsated, growing by the minute. She stepped backwards, almost dragging Jordan along with her. The two of them watched, half fearful and half amazed, as the ball of light began to rise as Martha stood, her eyes glowing slightly. With a sweep of her arm, the ball was left, frozen in midair. It crackled, sparks flying off of it as Martha twisted her hands, murmuring quietly. The sphere flattened out, becoming almost like a painting, or a mirror of sorts. It turned glossy, and Martha’s hands fell to her sides, the woman herself panting slightly.

“This is what we will be able to see your brother through.” Martha said, jerking her head towards Katherine. “Look, it’s just starting to show now.” She pointed at the magic, and Katherine gasped as a cell came into view. It wasn’t very large, about the same size as the room Tom had stayed in in their temple. There was a small cot, and nothing else if the cell. When her brother came into view, Katherine nearly sobbed, watching her brother rest peacefully. Giving him a quick once-over, she determined that her brother was injury-free. Tom had kept his promise. Or, Dianite had actually listen to him. Either way, Katherine was grateful. Her brother was alive, and unharmed. What more could she ask for?

“Can you tell where he is?” Jordan asked, looking at Martha curiously. She nodded, and closed her eyes. Everyone as silent for a moment, Katherine and Ianite watching Rupert while Jordan watched as Martha’s brow furrowed slightly. When she opened her eyes once more, there was a strange look to them. Martha seemed… Angry? Sad?

“The best I can say is that he’s in Inertia. Quite a way in, I’m afraid.” At that, Jordan cursed, running a hand through his hair.

“Shit. That place is probably one of the most fortified cities around. We’ll need more troops than we already have.” As Ianite turned away from Rupert, joining in Martha and Jordan’s conversation about troops and battles, Katherine continued watching. Rupert stirred slightly, and she saw a figure moving into the cell. When she saw flames licking off of the person’s body, she knew exactly who he was. Judging by the way Rupert had shot out of his bed, and was currently as far away from that demon as he could get, he also knew. That man, the one who had just entered Rupert’s cell, the one made of flames and fire. He had murdered her parents. And now he was after her brother.


End file.
